


Keep the Memories

by GreyscaleSky



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Bit sad, Gen, but also very touching, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 11:19:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13099011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyscaleSky/pseuds/GreyscaleSky
Summary: Set after the comics. Sorry it's sad. :(





	Keep the Memories

Heavy had imagined a lot of things before, respawn shutting down and killing them, being forcefully removed from the premises, the Administrator herself doing the dirty deed or even forcing Miss Pauling to do it, but never in his life would he have thought it would end like this.  
They're all stood together in a circle, like the huddles Soldier would force them to do, although this time there's no plan of action because the American man is stumped, still in a state of shock as he is clutching the few things he owns in his hands, Scout is to his left arguing with Medic over their contracts, pointing out different sections and asking whether or not it was a loophole. Pyro was on Soldier's right and then Engineer, who were muttering to each other, although now the little Pyromaniac was free of the mask and didn't mind the staring, just wasn't sure about the talking just yet, then Demo next to Engineer, who was trying his best not to burst into tears and failing miserably, Spy was, surprising, trying to comfort him while Sniper was looking through address books and writing down phone numbers, Heavy stood off to the side and sighed wistfully, remembering all memories that they had created at this mill, the lead poisoned water, the time they'd blown window off down in intel, that time when Scout had scaled the fence for his ball and got attacked by rabid cows. It made him smile.  
"Heavy, get in here." Medic put his hand out towards him and he took it gratefully as he joined the circle.  
"Atten-shun!" Soldier barked, and the team went quiet as they looked to him.  
"Men, this may be the end, but it is _not_ the end, do you understand me?!" Murmurs of 'yes' and 'definitely' and 'what?' were heard.  
"This job is over, but we are not! You were the best damn team I ever had, and dammit I will not just lose you, do you understand?! You are an excellent team and I love you!" His voice cracked near the end and he began to sob, which led to a horrible chain reaction of Demo, then Pyro, then Scout, then Sniper, then Engineer, then Medic, Then Heavy, and finally Spy, all either outright sobbing or sniffling, it was funny in a way to see such strong military men wailing, but Heavy didn't say anything.  
Then they were all squeezed together tightly by each other, in one big, warm and slightly wet hug, some of them were reassuring the others with 'yes I'll call' and 'you can visit whenever' and even a 'you don't have to pay for your assassinations', a kind gesture from Spy, pats on the backs were given and he even felt a couple quick kisses to his cheek from various members, he hadn't realised it but they'd grown together not only as a team, but as friends, the type of friends who fought with each other not because they had to, but because they wanted to; they stuck up for each other like brothers did, and he hadn't realised that he'd ever have to say goodbye.

"Dammit, I know I got eight brothers at home, but you guys are better brothers! If my ma would let me I'd like, take ya all home and keep ya." Scout flushed red and wiped at his eyes with the heels of his palms.  
" _You're the only family I have. It won't be the same without you._ Pyro signed.  
"Aye, you're the best friends I've ever 'ad!"  
"Couldn't do a bloody thing wi'out you blokes."  
"Wouldn't want to either, eh stretch?"  
"Oh, ja, you were all such vonderful patients!"  
"And very 'elpful during some sticky situations, merci."  
"Da." Heavy started eloquently. "A saying I know is ' sem'ya eto te kto paderzhat tebya v trudnoiy situatsyiy. Means 'When trouble comes, it is your family that supports you.' I did not realise when I first heard it that the family did not have to be blood family." He smiled down at the group, the family, with his shining grey eyes and watched as Scout broke down into tears again and Engineer sobbed into Pyro's shoulder.   
"Come here ya stupid lardass!" Scout almost vaulted the man in an attempt to hug his neck and Heavy, ignoring the rude comment, hugged him back, another perk of his massive size was that he gave the best hugs.  
Of course, once one got a hug the rest had to have one too, sometimes he felt he was surrounded by children, or animals, but the very endearing ones of course.

They were all out front now, a sleek red sport's car that Scout was touching with his greasy fingers while Spy threatened to not drive him home if he continued to touch it, an old beat up pickup truck where Pyro and Engineer were both packing up their boxes, Sniper's camper van where Soldier and Demo were flipping a coin for shotgun and Sniper was laying on the roof for a final New Mexico tan, and Medic making his way out with his heavy suitcase, dragging it along the floor as Heavy lingered behind.  
"Hurry up Heavy! Ve need to catch our flight in two hours!" He called out as he loaded his bags into his own little car, just big enough for the giant of a man to get in, Heavy nodded quietly as he stroked his large hands along the cool concrete walls of their base, over the abuse of explosions and fire and food and blood it had taken over the years.  
"Yes, I am coming." He said as he flicked the lightswitch and watched the final hallway go dark, then closed the door as gently as he could with a warm smile.  
"Goodbye." He said to the building itself, or maybe even the Administrator or the Mann brothers or Saxton Hale, or maybe it was a goodbye to his job, a job he would miss but be happy to retire from and return home.  
"I'd say a final goodbye but I need to see the road while I'm driving." The Engineer laughed and shook his hand firmly, then waved the team off as he got in the truck next to his maskless friend and drove off down the long dust road back to civilisation, Sniper, Soldier and Demo were next, all three of them crammed into the cabin like idiot sardines, and then Spy and Scout after a smack to the Bostonian's head for not keeping his hands off the new paint job.

"Jou know, I bet ve'll see them again. It happened before." Medic sighed wistfully at the big building and started the car.  
"I am sure that we will." Heavy laughed, touching the large scars he'd received from last time and pat his friend's shoulder. "But for now, we will never see them again. Makes me feel less like baby for crying so much." Medic laughed as well, and it didn't occur to Heavy until he was already on his own flight back to Russia that he'd completely forgotten to ask his friend's names, he fretted over it until he saw something slipped under the glove of his large fingerless gloves, 'how on earth?' he thought and took the paper from his hiding place and unfolded it to find it was a photo, a photo of his team, on their very first day all suited up and grinning like madmen at the camera, and it was signed with their real names.  
'But how?' He wondered, and turned the photo over to see a message.  
_'Miss Pauling owed me a favour, and this is what I used it on, it was hard sneaking them into all your luggage but I managed it. Don't lose it or I'll kill you. - Dell Conagher, the Engineer.'_ And the Heavy grinned, looking over the photo for the entire flight, and wondered if he'd get away with writing a book if he'd just change the story a little, but of course he'd keep the memories. He'd always keep the memories.

**Author's Note:**

> Busy, will say something later.


End file.
